Drum type washing machine

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a drum type washing machine having a control panel assembly which can make, not only an exterior of the drum type washing machine beautiful, but also enable the user to operate the drum type washing machine, easily. 
     The drum type washing machine includes a body which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a front plate secured to a front of the body, having a door mounted thereto, and a touch switch mounted to the front plate for applying a washing course.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of the Patent Korean Application No. 10-2008-0022042, filed on Mar. 10, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present invention relates to drum type washing machines, and, more particularly, to a drum type washing machine having a control panel assembly which can make, not only an exterior of the drum type washing machine beautiful, but also enable the user to operate the drum type washing machine, easily.

2. Discussion of the Related Art

In general, the drum type washing machine washes laundry by using friction between the laundry and a drum which rotates by driving power from a motor in a state detergent, washing water and the laundry are introduced to the drum. The drum type washing machine is advantageous in that almost no laundry damage takes place, and the laundry does not entangle.

The drum type washing machine is provided with a cabinet which forms an exterior thereof, and a control panel assembly which enables a user to apply a washing course to the washing machine.

The control panel assembly is provided with a rotary switch and buttons mounted thereto for applying the washing course to the drum type washing machine.

The control panel assembly of the related art is provided with a control panel which forms an exterior of the control panel assembly, a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) in the control panel having various electric components mounted thereon, and a rotary switch projected forward from the control panel for enabling the user to apply a washing course to the drum type washing machine.

The rotary switch has a rotation shaft one side of which is connected to the PCB.

The rotary switch also has a step held on a rear of the control panel, and a step guide for bringing the step into close contact with the rear of the control panel.

The operation of the related art control panel assembly in the drum type washing machine will be described.

When the user turns the rotary switch, the step rotates while keeping surface to surface contact to the rear of the control panel, and as the rotation shaft at the rotary switch rotates, the user can select a washing course.

However, the control panel assembly of the related art in the drum type washing machine has problems in that noise is generated at the time of rotation of the rotary switch caused by friction of the surface to surface contact between the step and the rear of the control panel and the rotation of the rotary switch is not smooth.

The operation both of the rotary switch along with a plurality of buttons required for the user in selection of the washing course of the drum type washing machine is complicate.

The plurality of buttons and the rotary switch mounted to a front of the control panel assembly make the exterior of the drum type washing machine not beautiful.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a drum type washing machine.

An object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can make an exterior of a control panel assembly on a front of the drum type washing machine beautiful.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which enables a user to operate a control panel assembly easily, and understand a selected washing course easily.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drum type washing machine which can eliminate noise generated at the time the user operate the control panel assembly, and improve feeling of touch at the time of operation.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a drum type washing machine includes a body which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a front plate secured to a front of the body, having a door mounted thereto, and a touch switch actuated by a user's contact for inputting a washing course.

The touch switch may be plural and mounted to the front plate.

The touch switches may be arranged on a line in a width direction of the front plate.

Or, alternatively, the touch switches may be arranged in zigzag in a width direction of the front plate.

The touch switch may include a name of the washing course which is applicable by using the touch switch displayed thereon.

The drum type washing machine may further include a plurality of light emitting units provided matched to the touch switches such that the light emitting unit emits a light when the touch switch matched to the light emitting unit is pressed.

In the meantime, the drum type washing machine may further include a display unit for displaying information on the washing course and the detail setting applied to the touch switches.

The drum type washing machine may further include a distance from the door to a top edge of the front plate equal to a distance from the door to either side edge of the cabinet.

In this case, the door is formed at a position higher than a center of the cabinet.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the disclosure. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a section of a drum type washing machine in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a drum type washing machine in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a section of a control panel assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the specific embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a drum type washing machine in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 illustrates a section of a drum type washing machine in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the drum type washing machine includes a cabinet 110 which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine, a tub 120 (See FIG. 2) in the cabinet 110 for holding washing water, a drum 130 (See FIG. 2) rotatably mounted in the tub 120, and a motor 160 (See FIG. 2) for driving the drum 130.

The cabinet 110 includes a body 111 which forms sides, rear and bottom of the drum type washing machine, a front plate 112 which forms a front of the cabinet 110, and a top plate 113 joined to a top of the body 111 to form a top of the cabinet.

The front plate 112 which forms a front of the cabinet 110 has a laundry opening 112 a formed therein for introduction of laundry, opened/closed by a door 115 rotatably mounted to the cabinet 110.

Referring to FIG. 2, the tub 120 is positioned in the cabinet by hanging springs 121 and dampers 122 for holding the washing water.

The hanging spring 121 has one side connected to the top plate 133, and the other side connected to a top side of the tub.

In the meantime, the damper 122 under the tub 120 attenuates vibration generated at the time the drum rotates at a high speed.

The drum 130 has lifters 131 on an inside circumferential surface for lifting the laundry in the drum 130 to a predetermined height.

The drum 130 also has a plurality of pass through holes 132 in an inside circumferential surface for discharging the washing water from the laundry to the tub 120 in a process of a washing course, such as spinning.

On an upper side of the tub 120, there is a water supply hose 140 for supplying water to the tub 120 from an outside of the cabinet.

The water supply hose 140 may include a water supply valve 141 for controlling water supply, and a detergent supply device 142 for making the water supplied through the water supply hose 140 to be introduced into the tub 120 together with the detergent.

In the meantime, it is preferable that a drain hose 150 and a drain pump 151 are provided on a lower side of the tub 120 for draining the water used for the washing course to an outside of the washing machine.

On a rear of the tub 120, there is the motor 160 for rotating the drum, including a rotation shaft 165 passed through the rear of the tub 120.

The motor 160 includes a stator 161 fixedly secured to the rear of the tub 120, and a rotor 162 rotated by electro-magnetic interaction with the stator 161.

FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of a drum type washing machine in FIG. 1.

A control panel assembly 200 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

The control panel assembly 200 is mounted to an upper side of the front of the cabinet 110 for enabling the user to input a washing course to the drum type washing machine and notice operation of the washing machine.

The control panel assembly 200 may include an operation unit 210 and a display unit 250.

The operation unit 210 may be arranged in a width W direction of the front plate 112 for enabling the user to apply the washing course.

The operation unit 210 may include a washing course operation button 211 and a detail setting operation button 212.

The washing course operation button 211 enables the user to apply the washing course to the drum type washing machine, and the detail setting operation button 212 enables the user to apply a temperature of the washing water, a washing time period, and so on to the drum type washing machine additionally once the washing course is set with the washing course setting button. However, the sorting of the buttons into the washing course operation button 211 and the detail setting operation button 212 is only for convenience of description of the drum type washing machine of the present invention, but not for limiting the operation unit to the operation buttons.

In the meantime, the washing course operation button 211 and the detail setting operation button 212 may be arranged on a line in the width direction W of the front plate or in zigzag.

Or, the washing course operation button 211 may be arranged in zigzag in the width direction W of the front plate and the detail setting operation button 212 may be arranged on a line in the width direction W of the front plate.

The washing course operation button 211 and the detail setting operation button 212 may have character portions 213 on surfaces thereof having the washing courses and the detail settings the user can apply represented with characters, and it is preferable that the character portions 213 are formed such that the character portions 213 are not erased even if the user press down the character portions 213.

The washing course operation button 211 and the detail setting operation button 212 may be touch switches 223 (See FIG. 4).

The touch switch enables the user to input a signal for the washing course or the detail setting to the drum type washing machine by means of user's finger touch, finger contact or finger pressure.

According to this, the feeling of touch of the user can be improved when the user operates the touch switch.

FIG. 4 illustrates a section across a line I-I in FIG. 3 showing a control panel assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The operation unit 210 and the display unit 250 will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 4.

The operation unit 210 includes a PCB 220 having various circuit components mounted thereon, an LED 221 secured to the PCB 220 for emitting a light, an LED supporter 222 for supporting the LED 221, and a touch switch 223 mounted on a front of the LED supporter 222.

If the touch switches are arranged in zigzag, a transparent window 225 may be provided in space between rows of the touch switches for transmission of the light from the LED 221.

When the user presses the touch switch, the LED 221 for the touch switch is turned on, and the light from the LED transmits through the transparent window 225 to an outside of the control panel assembly.

According to this, the user can notice the washing course or the detail setting applied by the user easily by means of the LED.

In the meantime, the drum type washing machine of the present invention may include the display unit 250, additionally.

The display unit will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The display unit 250 displays information on the washing course or the like the user applies to the touch switch for easy recognition of the information by the user, and may be provided to an additional panel mounted to an upper side of the front plate 112.

It is preferable that the display unit 250 is constructed of a display panel of organic EL (Organic Light Emitting Diodes).

The display unit 250 constructed of a display panel of organic EL makes an exterior of the display unit 250 beautiful, and enables to reduce power consumption.

Thus, the drum type washing machine of the present invention has, no rotary switch mounted thereto, but only operation buttons 211 and 212 in forms of touch switches.

The washing course and the detail setting are progressed following pressing of the washing course operation button 211 and the detail setting operation button 212 provided in forms of touch switches.

According to this, user's application of the washing course or the detail setting is easy, the feeling of touch of the user is good, and the control panel assembly 200 becomes to have a beautiful exterior.

The mounting of the touch switch which enables sensing of the finger touch of the user for inputting of the washing course or the detail setting prevents noise from generating.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is preferable that a center C2 of the door 115 formed in the front plate 112 of the drum type washing machine of the present invention are provided at a position higher than a center C1 of the cabinet 110.

If the door 115 is provided at a position higher than the center of the cabinet 110, it is advantageous in that the user is permitted to bent her(him)self forward only a little for taking the laundry out of the drum type washing machine.

Moreover, it is preferable that the drum type washing machine of the present invention has the door 115 at a position where a distance from the door 115 to a top edge of the front plate 112 is equal to a distance from the door 115 to either side edge of the cabinet 110, substantially.

This is because as the higher the door is positioned than the center of the cabinet, the more beautiful the drum type washing machine appears.

As has been described, the drum type washing machine of the present invention has the following advantages.

The only mounting of the touch switches arranged in a width direction of the front plate makes an exterior of the drum type washing machine beautiful.

Operation of the drum type washing machine only with the touch switches permits easy operation of the drum type washing machine.

The exclusion of the rotary switch which is in contact with the control panel assembly permits to prevent noise from taking place at the time the rotary switch is turned.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 

1. A drum type washing machine comprising: a body which forms an exterior of the drum type washing machine; a front plate secured to a front of the body, having a door mounted thereto; and a touch switch actuated by a user's contact for inputting a washing course.
 2. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch switch is plural and mounted to the front plate.
 3. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the touch switches are arranged on a line in a width direction of the front plate.
 4. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the touch switches are arranged in zigzag in a width direction of the front plate.
 5. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 3 or 4, wherein the touch switch includes a name of the washing course which is applicable by using the touch switch displayed thereon.
 6. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plurality of light emitting units provided matched to the touch switches such that the light emitting unit emits a light when the touch switch matched to the light emitting unit is pressed.
 7. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying information on the washing course and the detail setting applied to the touch switches.
 8. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a distance from the door to a top edge of the front plate equal to a distance from the door to either side edge of the cabinet.
 9. The drum type washing machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the door is formed at a position higher than a center of the cabinet. 